Pikachu's New Life
by BannanGodis
Summary: After his trainer left him so began he with his trainers son's journey. On his and the young boy's journey they get to know lots of secrets about his trainers disappearance/death. I am Pikachu, Ash Ketchum's first Pokémon and this is my new life. (Pikachu Pov)
1. The Promise

I walked on the dirt road and let the warm rain drops fall on my head. I didn't know where I should go, I just wanted to sit in a puddle and wait for the flash that would strike down in the water puddle and end my suffering.

There's just one problem in that plan, I'm an Electrical Pokémon. I wouldn't die of a flash, certainly I would be damaged but I wouldn't come back to Ash.

I'm a Pikachu. But not just any Pikachu whatsoever, I'm Ash Ketchum's starter Pokémon.

I stayed in the puddle, but I backed off a few steps and looked into my mirror image. I was always catered by his best friend, so I had forgotten thinking about my own appearance. Ugh, I sounded like May or Dawn.

I had lots of scratches and bruises all over my body, and I had scraped up some of my fur so that I looked like Ritchie's Pikachu. Also, my eyes were red because of all tears and I had scratches in my eyes.

I looked up in the rain and began to think of the day I had received Ash as trainer, I had hated him for no reason. He then tried to catch a Pidgey, but I had refused to help my trainer, and then we tried to escape from the Spearow. When Ash stood in front me and protected me from the large flock of Spearow, he made a speech. I could still hear Ash's speech, I would never ever forget it.

"_Spearows do you know who I'm? I'm Ash, from the town of Pallet. I'm destined to be the world's number one Pokémon Master, I can't be defeated by the likes of you. I'm going to capture and defeat you all, you hear me?!"_

"_Pikachu go inside the Pokeball, it's the only way!"_

"_Come and get me!"_

I jumped when I heard lightning strike down, I walked away from the water puddle and continued to walk alone on the road. Keep in mind that the first time I ever met Ash was 25 years ago.

I had seen Ash grow throughout in our journey together.

Ash won his first league.

Ash goes on his first date.

Gets his first kiss (Latias and Melody do not count)

Ash gets his first girlfriend.

Ash wins all the other leagues.

Ash becomes a Pokémon Master.

Ash proposes to his girlfriend, and she says yes.

Ash gets married.

Then came the news I never thought would happen. I remember the event as if it were yesterday.

_I lay quietly on the couch and was about to fall asleep, until Ash and his wife came into the room and "aroused" me._

"_Pika?" I_ _asked when I sat up and leaned my head to the side, I was so confused._ _Why would they do that and wake me up?_

_Ash had a smile that meant he would tell me something nice, it was good that in all cases there was good news._

_"Pikachu, you may have noticed my wife and I have been busy lately?" I nodded, I had been so worried that Ash had grown tired of me._

_"You see Ash has been forced to take care of me." His wife said when she put a hand on her ball-like stomach._

_What did she mean by being forced? Ash's wife threatened him or something? Just the thought of that Ash was threatened did that sparks flew from my cheeks._

_Ash noticed the sparks and put a reassuring hand on my head, making me realize that my suspicions were wrong._

_"You understand that soon our family will multiply," Ash explained as he grabbed his wife's hand. What did Ash mean by that? Had he caught another Pokémon without me?_

"_Chu?" I asked confused, Ash sighed and grabbed my right paw._

_"Do you trust me?" I looked confusedly at Ash but he just smiled, he pulled me by the paw until I stood in front of the ball-like stomach._ _I looked confusedly at Ash once again, he just gave me his smile that meant "Everything Is Okay." Ash put my paw on the woman's stomach, and to my surprise so, I felt something moving in there._ _It almost felt as if something alive in there._

"_Pika pikapi cha?" I asked. He smiled and patted me on the head. I really loved it when he did that._

_"Do you understand?" He whispered, he had a smile that I only see when he is really happy or proud of something._

_Wait... He asked if I understood? I don't know what I'll understand. I looked sadly at Ash and shook my head, this was the way Ash felt when he didn't understand something?_

_"Pikachu... I'll be a father." He said with a big smile, his wife smiled too. I stood there in shock, I was really surprised at the news. How would I react? I did the only thing I felt was right, I had a big smile, nodded happily, and jumped excitedly._

_"Ash has been worried for a while on how you would react to the news," said Ash's wife with a warm smile._

_Ash was worried about how I would react? I'm just happy for him, he will be the best father in the world._

_I know that._

Ash became a father. And not to brag but I was right, Ash became a great parent. He went early to his job because he wanted to come home as early as possible so he could spend so much time as possible with his son, and often took time off from his job so he could take care of his son. When the boy grew older, Ash played with his son. When he was even older than that, Ash started to teach his son about Pokémon training.

I knew from the moment Ash told that he would be a father, he would be the best dad in the world's history. I knew that Ash never ever would abandon his only child to become Pokémon master, he's already Pokémon master but still! Ash would never ever leave his son for Pokémon training or anything else in the world. He already knew how it felt to be abandoned.

I climbed up a tree to protect myself from the rain that poured down. I looked up at the sky, or tried to anyway. All these dark clouds blocked the beautiful blue sky. I remember when Ash and I used to look up at the clouds and look for ones that resembled Pokémon, or yes... I was looking for cloud that resembled ketchup bottles. I can't imagine that just a few hours ago, there was not a single cloud in the sky.

I let a single tear drop, running down my tired cheeks. I had seen with my own eyes when my best friend died. I got to see when he was too weak to move, when he suffered the pains, heard his last words, saw when his lively eyes became gray, saw when he stopped breathing, and heard when his heartbeat became extinct.

I could still hear his last words.

"_P…Pikachu… I.. love .. y..you.. I.. I.. I … C.. could .. n..not .. h .. have .. w.. wished.. m.. my.. self.. a .. b..better b..b..best friend t..than y..you. C..can y..you p..promise m..me one l..last t..thing b..buddy?" He whispered weakly. It was so hard to hear what he had said. The only thing I did was nod and let my tears fall._

"_T..tell m..my f..family I..I l..love t..them." I nodded, Ash tried to smile although I could see the pain in his eyes._

"_T..tell m..my s..son I..I l..love h..him a..and s..say t..that I..I'm s..sorry I..I d..didn't c.. come h.. home." I nodded, Ash grabbed my paw and smiled at me._

"_T..take c.. care o..of o..our f.. family f…for m..me w..when I.. I'm g.. gone." I nodded and could feel that Ash was holding my hand tighter, He really struggled to live and tell me these words._

"_W..when m..my s..son t…turns 1…1..10, c..can y.. you p.. promise m.. me t..that y..you w..will j..join h..him o..on h..his j..journey?" I nodded. I would do anything if it was Ash's last wish, I would even evolve into a Raichu or go back in my Pokéball._

_Ash's breathing became heavier and heavier._

"_D..don't f.. forget t..to g..give h.. him h.. his ..P.. Pokéball.. I..I've h..hidden f..from h.. him, i..in i..it i..is h..his f..first P..Pokémon." I had always wondered what kind of Pokémon was in it, I would never ever be able to forget it._

"_B..Bye.. B..__b..__b..__buddy**,**__" Whispered Ash before he closed his eyelids._

"_Pikapi…"_

"…"

"_Pikapi!"_

"…"

"_PIKAPIII!"_

"…"

_Ash Ketchum died._

I would keep the promise I made to Ash. I'll take care of Ash's family and make his son the Pokémon Master, just like his father.

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><p><strong>BannanGodis: Hope you liked this story<strong>**  
><strong>

**BannanGodis doesn't own Pokémon and the characters! and thanks awolflover2 for you help me with my english grammar :)**


	2. The Painful Truth

I went up the hill and could see the wonderful city Pallet, lots of memories of when I and Ash came back from lots of our journey. I could see all the houses in Pallet, I could see the house where I live. I really didn't want to tell Ash's wife and son that Ash never would come back to them, if only I had been stronger I would have sat on Ash's warm shoulders instead of going here down on the ground in all mud pools.

Everything was my fault, I had done this to my own best friend. How could I tell a nine-year old boy that he could never get his battle with his father, the Pokémon Master?

I walked slowly down the steep hill, I didn't run down which did Ash when he was only ten years old. Ash was so crazy when he was a child, he was still childish when he had grown up but he had matured in all cases..

I went on the dirt road who was on the road to our house, Ash had lived in that white house his whole life. After his mother died of a disease so bought Ash the house, he wanted that his son would growing up in his house.

I opened the gate and slow walk on the way that would lead me to my family, everyone in my family was there.. Except Ash. What would I say to them? Ash and I had gone alone to Mount Moon to train, but now I come home alone without my trainer..

I stood in front of the door and looked at the "dog door" Ash that had sat there just because I would able to go out when I wanted, because he had a wife and son it wouldn't stop me to be free. I went through the dog door and looked into the hall, everything looked so alike out although it has gone a whole month then me and Ash had leaving the house. I could feel Ash's wife's wonderful perfume, it smelled like flowers. I could smell Ash's perfume too, Ash's son have had probably taken a bit.. He always wanted to be like his kindhearted father.

I could feel that something ran indoor, I could feel it with my whole body. It rolled out a ball that looked like a Master Ball, I remember when Ash gave it to his son. I heard that the person who ran had stopped, I looked up and saw a boy who had a big smile.

"PIKACHU!? MOM, PIKACHU AND DAD ARE HOME!" Cried the excited boy, he thought that Ash would be with me.. Wonder how he will react when I tell him that his father is dead, he will never come home.

Out of the kitchen it came out a woman who had long orange hair, she was wearing an apron where there was a text that was "Do not bother me when I'm in the kitchen, otherwise you get burnt food". She walked up to me and had a big smile on her lips, her son was next to her and had a smile that I would smash..

"Hi Pikachu." She said in her quiet voice, I tried to smile. She looked around me to find her beloved husband, but she could not find him.

"Pikachu.. Where is Ash?" She asked anxiously, I did not want to answer that question but I had no choice.

"Pikapi.. Pi… Chu.." Did I said when I shook sadly my head, I could see on the orange hairy woman and her son looked at me strangely, they could not understand me.. It was just Ash who understood me, I missed him so much so that the ache in my chest.

"Wait here a second.." Misty said as she walked away, I was alone with the son of the powerful Pokémon Master. When I looked at him I could really see Ash and Misty in him, he had the same hair like his father and he had the same eye color like his mother.

Misty came back and she held in something like a necklace with a "lamp" on the side. (As the dogs had in Up*the movie*). I leaned my head confused, when she had begun caring about fashion? She walked up to me and fastened it around my neck, I was surprised she doesn't noticed all my scratches that was all over my body. It felt unusual to have something around the neck, I wonder what she has in mind with this.

"Say something" She told me, I looked even more confused on her but she just smiled.

"Why should I say anything?" I asked confused, then I noticed that necklace had translated what I had said. The voice had a "robot voice" but they could still understand me.

"It works! Gary is a genius.. Don't say I said that.." Cried Misty smooth, after Professor Oak had died so Gary became the new professor.

"Misty, I need to talk to you" I said decided, I looked at the Ash-like boy and sighed "I need to talk to you alone, just you and I." I said, I hadn't gotten used to the robot voice yet.

Misty looked at me anxiously, she knew I would tell you something bad. I really hated to be here, unless Ash would have told me to take care of his family I would have fled to the woods and never come back..

"Bryan, darling can you go out in the garden and play with all your father's Pokémon. Pikachu and I need to talk." She said to her beloved son, Bryan nodded hesitantly but ran out through the door.

"Pikachu .. Where is my man?" Misty asked with a shaky voice, she was afraid of my answer.

"He never comes home.." I whispered with tears in my eyes.

"You mean that he stayed at the Pokémon Center and rang healed all his Pokémon, I have well right?" I just shook my head sadly, she denied that her husband was dead.

"He got stuck in the woods when he met a Legendary Pokémon, typical Ash want to help all." Laughed Misty sadly, she really didn't want to accept the truth..

"Ash and I worked on our new fighting style when suddenly a big explosion was heard all over the mountain, as usual we would investigate what the explosion was.. When we arrived we saw lots of people who wore Team Rocket similar clothes, but instead of having an "R" on the chest they had an "A".." I began to doubt, I didn't remember so much before Ash's death.

"Ash and I began to spy on them, when sudden we were attacked behind us.. I thought of course that they would attack me, but no.." I saw the pictures in front of me, I had been defenseless.

"The men's Pokémon began attacking Ash, I tried to protect him but from nowhere then came a net over me.. I got to see when they beat my best friend, I tried everything in my power to escape but I was stuck.." I closed my eyes and felt my warm tears slid down at my cheeks, I could hear that Misty cried.

"Suddenly one of the men took up his hand and all the Pokémon stop their attacks, other two of the leader forced Ash against the leader, Ash was too weak to fight." I looked up into Misty's face and could see how she was destroyed, I knew how it felt.. I had been there when it happened.

"I didn't hear everything they said but the leader took up Ash's title and laughed.. I could see how the leader talked, but I couldn't hear what he said.. Whatever he said so protested Ash, the leader took out a knife and pressed it against Ash's neck.." I didn't want to continue.. I just wanted to forget all this, but Misty needed to know.

"The leader said something to Ash, but Ash refused. The leader screamed in frustration.. T-t-then he put the k-k-knife in Ash's s-stomach.. Ash screamed in pain, the two men who held in Ash's arms released Ash and let Ash's body fall to the ground.. The leader knelt to Ash's height and whispered something in his ear, whatever the leader said to Ash did Ash angry.." I looked at my paw, Ash had done in my paw when he died.

"The leader took out a gun and shot Ash in his stomach, I just lay there defenseless.. I couldn't do anything to stop them.." I took a deep breath, it was getting hard to breathe because of all my tears.

"When the man was finished with Ash so he walked up to me.. He said he would be kind to me and kill me quickly, not so slowly like my trainer. He called out his Raichu and ordered him to use Thunderbolt on me, I figured that since I'm an Electrical Pokémon so it wouldn't hurt me.. I had wrong.. So wrong.. I had never felt so much pain, Raichu's Thunderbolt was't yellow.. It was blue.."

"B-b-blue?" She asked shakily, I nodded.

"When the leader thought I was too weak to fight him so he let me free but I bit him hard bite in his arm, he would suffer for having damaged Ash!" Without as I knew it, it flew lots of sparks from my cheeks.

"Pikachu calm down!" Shouted Misty, her voice was shaky.

"I'm sorry.. I was just so angry.."

"I understand why.." She whispered.

"Just when Raichu would kill me with his Hyper Beam there came a blue barrier in front of me and protected me.. It turned and saw that Ash had used his Aura to protect me, the leader shouted in rage and started attack Ash.. I tried to take me to Ash but the leader's Raichu blocked my path.. Me and Raichu fought against each other when all of a sudden Raichu stopped his attacks and went back to his trainer.. I wondered why the leader was about to go until I saw Ash, he lay on the ground motionless.. I ran up to Ash and started shaking him, his eyes was open and he was breathing.. The leader told me that he would die and there was nothing I could do to stop it.." I saw in front of me when Ash's body lay in front of me and he was breathing so heavily.. He felt a lot of pain..

"The leader and his men leave us alone.. There was so much blood all over Ash's body.." I could hear Ash's respirations, they sounded like a "zombie".. It was so horrible

"You know what his last words was?" I asked, she shook her head when the tears ran down her cheeks like a waterfall.

"He told me that he couldn't have wished a better best friend than me, I would take care of our family, say to his son that he was sorry that he never came home, give Bryan his first Pokémon when he was ten years old and follow his son when he was on his journey." I told Ash's last words, Misty smiled a sweet smile.. Smile disappeared after a few seconds.

"The last thing he was thinking of before he died was you, me and his son.. Ash was a good-hearted father, friend and husband." I nodded, Now came the "hardest" bit.. To tell Bryant that his father is dead.

"How do we tell Bryant?"

"He needs to know.. My poor son, his father was his hero and idol.." Then I heard a creaking, I looked at the doorway and saw Bryan.. He had heard all..

"Mom.." Misty looked shocked at her son, she stood up and embraced him.

"I know darling.. "

"Daddy isn't coming home?" Misty shook her head. I hated to see them like this so I ran out of the house and sat in a tree, I climbed up as high as it was possible.

It was something I didn't understand.. Those men had the clothes in which they had an "A" on they chests.. What did the "A" meant and what the leader had told Ash that he refused? Was it really worth dying for? I looked up at the clouds and saw that there was a "opening" where there were not a clouds, Ash may look through the hole and watching how his family feels?

After sitting there for several hours I began to see how the blue color of the sky darkened, it was soon night.

"Pikachu…" Whispered a familiar voice, I looked down and saw Bryan. I didn't answer, it felt like everything was my fault.

"Please respond Pikachu.."

"…"I heard something rustling and I saw that the boy had climbed up the tree, he had the agility from his father. The boy was now squatting on one of the branches beside me.

"I know you're sorry, but you aren't alone with it! Me and my mother is overwhelmed, I lost my father.. But Mom said that Dad wouldn't like that any of us were sad, he wanted us to be happy!" Said the very young boy, he was so young but wise.. Wonder who he got it from, it must have been from Misty because Ash was not so wise.. But Bryan had a point with his words, Ash wouldn't has wanted me to mourn his death.. He wanted me, his son and wife would be happy.

"You have right.. Ash wouldn't like that I was sad.." I sighed, I hated when someone had right.. Especially when it's a little boy who had right, it feels weird.

"You should go into the house, it will soon be night and then it will get cold." The boy said, I got a little smile when he said that.. He sounds like his father.

"I'm coming in soon.. I'll just sit here a little longer" Bryan nodded and jumped down, he was fearless.. Just like Ash.

I sat there until the sky was black and that the moon had risen, the stars glittered. I looked up and tried to count all the stars, Ash used to go out at night just to watch the stars. He said he could feel his mother's Aura when he looked up in the sky.

Then I saw when a star fell, I got a wish.

"I wish ..I wish I could see Ash again.." I whispered when I beat my hands together, it was my only wish now.

When I couldn't see the star I jumped down from the tree and ran towards the "dog door", I looked up at the sky one last time and prayed to Arceus that he would fulfill my wish.

Then I went in through the dog door, I skipped up the stairs and went into Ash's and my room. Ash and Misty had shared a room before but I didn't fit in their bed so Ash and I got a room, Misty fully understood. I looked at the room and could see lots of gym badges which was on a shelf, in a glass container was the first trophy that Ash had won the league.

I jumped up in bed but everything felt wrong, Ash doesn't hug me.. I guess I'll get used to it… Ash why do you had to leave me? I began to think of Ash's and my great moments, I closed my eyes and let the sleep win over me.

I miss you Ash, I would do anything to get you back.. Anything..


	3. Bryan's First Day As Trainer

When I woke up, I noticed a black-haired boy lying next to me. I went closer to him, hoping that everything was just a dream and that it Ash was there. However, I didn't see the telltale birthmarks that were his; instead, there was a teardrop mark. That mark belonged to Bryan.

It all wasn't a dream; it had really happened. The whole year that passed since his death was as real as me still being here. And just like the day he died, I missed Ash terribly.

When Ash was young, he didn't have a father around to guide him. He never wanted Bryan to go through the same thing, and he made good on that promise. He had proven to be a great father to Bryan. But now that he's gone, he'll miss the rest of his son's childhood. He wasn't going to be there for Bryan's first Pokémon battle; to cheer for him in his first win, to console him on his first loss, and to celebrate alongside him on his first gym victory. He was gone, and his greatest pride and joy was going to grow up without him. I couldn't help but think back to when Bryan was born…

* * *

><p><em>Ash smiled sweetly at Misty as he held her hand. I was sitting on a chair next to him and looked at the woman lying in a hospital bed. I didn't understand why we were here and why she had to lay in bed white gown. It was nothing like how she usually dressed even when she was asleep. A man in a white coat then walked in. I was a bit nervous about him and instinctively jumped onto Ash's shoulders.<em>

"_Sir, I'm afraid I must ask you to leave the room," the doctor said. "We're about to begin the delivery."_

"_Please let me stay," Ash asked. He didn't want to leave Misty's side, especially when it was going to be the most beautiful yet painful moment of their lives._

"_I'm sorry, but we have to follow protocol. You and your Pokémon will have to leave." Ash reluctantly nodded. He then took me into his arms before walking out of the room._

_Once we arrived at the waiting room, Ash made a beeline for one of the seats. He didn't say a word. I tried to get his attention many times, but he just stared back at me without his trademark smile. So I simply sat on his lap in a show of comfort. We just sat like that for a while until the doctor came back out. I immediately sensed something wrong just by the look the man had._

"_Wh-What's wrong?" Ash whispered. I've rarely heard it before, but I could hear in his voice that he was afraid. I hated when he was like that; he always had so much energy that his smiles were merely an extension of that fact._

"_I'm very sorry, Mr. Ketchum," the doctor somberly said. "I've done everything I could, but I'm afraid it was unavoidable. Your child… passed away during the operation."_

_I saw Ash's face change from fear to something I've never once seen before. It was like he was still afraid, but the way he just stood still had me worried. That's when I noticed it; his eyes watering before a drop rolled down his cheek. Ash was…crying._

_He got up so suddenly; I had no time to react and fell straight to the floor. I was still recovering from the shock as he ran down the hallway. I lost sight of him but had a feeling where he was going. I quickly made my way to Misty's room._

_When I made it to her room, I saw that the door was wide open. I could sense that Ash was there, so I cautiously peeked inside. I saw my best friend_ _openly weeping as he held a baby in his arms._

_I tried calling to Ash as I walked in, but he didn't seem to hear me. I then tried tugging at his pants but was met with the same results. I hated seeing him like this. He looked so lost, and I wanted to do what I could to help him just like he did for me many times before._

"_Why…?" I heard him whisper. The tears were flowing down his cheeks and falling onto the baby. Seeing him in so much grief stung more than even the mightiest of attacks I've ever been hit with. He was hugging the baby so tightly, it was like he was afraid to let go._

_Suddenly, I saw Ash's tears begin to glow a brilliant blue. Each drop continued to fall onto the baby's body. The brightness caught Ash's attention as he hesitantly looked at his dead child. I couldn't help smiling as I saw one creeping onto his lips._

"_It can't be…!" Ash whispered so softly that I almost missed it. He put his ear over the baby's chest and listened for something. His smile only grew wider, the tears that were once of sadness now those of happiness._

"_H-He's alive! Doctor!" Ash happily cried. The doctor came walking in a few seconds later. However, I was confused as to why the man was still looking as sad as he did when he came to us earlier._

"_I understand your grief over your son's death, Mr. Ketchum," he cautiously said. "However, some tragedies during the operation are unavoidable. I've done everything I could, but…"_

"_He's…He's alive, doctor!"_

"…_I realize that you're right now in denial. It's perfectly understandable, but you must understand that he isn't going to come back."_

"_No, he really is alive. I just listened to his chest and heard a heartbeat." The doctor still seemed sympathetic but decided to put on his stethoscope and indulge Ash. The moment he put the object onto the baby's heart, his face changed to surprise._

"_Y-You're right; he is alive. But how's that possible? Everyone at the time of birth was there to confirm it!"_

"_That may be what happened, but it's different now. My son's… He's alive!"_

"_It's truly a miracle! I've got to let the nurses know what's happened here." The doctor quickly walked out with a renewed spring to his steps._

_Now that we were alone, I jumped onto Ash's shoulder to take a look at the baby that made him both sad and happy. He was a cute little thing, his head barely moving as though he were waking from a nap. However, I was surprised when I saw a birthmark on the boy's cheek. Unlike Ash's, this one was in the shape of a teardrop._

* * *

><p>I couldn't help the melancholy smile as the memory passed. Ash and Misty had asked at the hospital if there was anything wrong with the teardrop birthmark. However, they found nothing wrong with it and left it alone saying that it was what made Bryan special.<p>

My smile turned sad when I looked at Bryan. I really liked hanging out with him…, but he wasn't Ash. He had the same characteristics as his father, especially that seemingly endless amount of energy. Even the look in his eyes were the same, chocolate brown and so full of life. That's what they reflected even as he was just beginning to wake up.

"Good morning, Pikachu," Bryan yawned as he slowly sat up and started stretching. He was wearing his father's pajamas; actually, they were recreated to look the same. Every time I saw him in those, I start thinking about the very first day I met and started travelling with Ash.

"Good morning, birthday boy," I said with a smile. Today was Bryan's birthday, and it meant he could now get his very first Pokémon!

"...Oh yeah, it is my birthday," the kid replied with a smile. He then took a look at his alarm clock and noticed in a panic that it was already ten. "Oh no; I overslept!" he exclaimed before jumping to his feet and rushing out of his room still in his pajamas.

"I guess this is what happened when Ash first started," I sighed as I ran after the boy. "He's definitely like his father."

When I made it downstairs, I saw Misty in the kitchen making some breakfast. The front door was wide open, and I assumed Bryan was running straight to Professor Oak's lab. I quickly greeted her before following the overly energetic boy. I heard Misty laugh as I went outside.

* * *

><p>When I finally made it to the lab, I immediately took in the fresh air. The run was a more exhausting than I thought, although I guess it was expected since I haven't moved around a lot since Ash's death. Even though I moved around a lot before then, I always knew I had his shoulder to rest on when I got tired. While Misty and Bryan did offer their shoulders to me, I couldn't bring myself to it. After years of travelling on that one familiar perch, it was one of the few things that I wanted to belong to only him and me.<p>

After catching my breath, I walked up to the door and walked through the smaller door on the ground. When Ash had retired from travelling, he and Gary had it built so that I could come in and visit the other Pokémon here whenever I wanted. I immediately made my way into the room separate from the main foyer where three people stood. One of them was Bryan; I think he realized just now he was still in his pajamas since he was blushing a bit. Standing before him was Gary; he had become a Pokémon Professor and took over the operations of this laboratory in place of his grandpa. Next to Bryan was Gary's daughter, Jessica; she, like Bryan, was a lot like her father in both drive and attitude.

"Dad, you should give me my Pokémon first!" I heard Jessica say just as I came in. "Bryan's supposedly so much like his dad, so he should pick last." Gary saw me come in and shot me a look that was a cross between questioning and annoyance. It was almost as if he were asking if he and Ash were like that at that age. I just sighed; the young professor apparently got his answer as he did a face palm afterwards.

"That's not fair, Jessica!" Bryan angrily exclaimed. "My dad might've started after Professor Oak, but mine is a Pokémon Master. Your dad just became a professor!" I was amazed Gary was taking this well despite being unintentionally insulted. However, I was more worried that Jessica might try to bring up a touchy subject.

"I think you mean he _was_ a Pokémon Master. You can't be one when you're dead." My fear came true. I couldn't help the spark of electricity coming from my cheeks. While she was right, I didn't understand why she had to bring it up like that!

"Jessica!" Gary immediately scolded. The young girl looked at her father in surprise. When I looked at Bryan, I could see him tearing up a bit. Just as it was with me, talking about Ash like this was still pretty sensitive.

"But dad!" she whined. Yep, she was definitely like her father if not worse. I just kept quiet and waited for what I knew was going to be Gary's speech about my late best friend.

"I don't want to hear it! Never talk down to anybody, especially if they're already dead. Not only is it disrespectful to who you're talking to, it also makes it look like you have no respect for the legacy the departed left behind.

"Let me tell you something, Jessica. When I was your age, I always bragged to Ash that I was going to be the best. Like you, I kept putting him down saying he was a loser and all that. I was always showing off the girls that followed me and all the money I had whenever we met up. I thought I was cool then, but I later realized that Ash was the one who had it better. He may not have had the things I had, but he did have real friends who accompanied him on his journey. Because of his caring attitude, he was easy to make friends with.

"However, I was still a pretty jerky guy. Because of that, Ash was really the only person I could call my friend even after everything I've done to him. It was only after my journey through the Johto Region that I realized I was the real loser. That's when I decided to stop competing with him and work on becoming a Pokémon Professor. Like I said, he was my only real friend. I didn't want to lose it, so I made up with him.

"The point I'm trying to make is that you shouldn't do things you might regret later," Gary concluded with a sigh. "I know you probably don't understand what I'm saying now, but you will when you're older. Treat others like you want to be treated; don't go putting people down at every chance you get."

I was impressed with Gary's lecture. While I have heard many times how he had regretted the way he treated Ash during their journey; I never heard him be this candid. I never knew he considered Ash to be his only real friend. It made me proud to think that my best friend was able to help pull someone out from the pits of loneliness.

"…I never thought about it that way," Jessica admitted. Her tone was low with regret. "I'm sorry I said that, Bryan. I don't care who gets to pick first; you can go ahead if you want to."

"Why don't we pick them at the same time," Bryan suggested with a nod. "That way, it'll be fair." Both I and Gary smiled at the boy. He was definitely like his father, always thinking about others before himself and never one to hold a grudge.

"Now that we're back on track, let me explain how this will work. Both of you will get to choose between three different Pokémon. For you, Bryan, you'll get to choose from four since one of them was picked by your father. As much as he would've liked to see you pick the one he had ready, I'm sure he would've wanted you to still have a choice. What do you want to do?"

"I want to see all of them first before I choose." Gary simply nodded and took out three pokéballs from his coat pocket. He threw one of them in the air and released a green-colored Pokémon.

"This one is the grass-type Pokémon, Bulbasaur."

"Hey, it kind of looks like the one my dad had!" Bryan excitedly said. I could tell just by his voice that he held a lot of pride in his father's legacy. "He told me once that his had a chance to evolve a long time ago. But just like Pikachu, it liked staying the way it was!"

"Alright, don't go spouting more of your stories. So what if they didn't evolve? It just means they like being weak, is all," Jessica irritably replied. I got pretty angry at that; after all, she was talking about me right in front of my face!

"My dad's Pokémon aren't…!" Bryan became silent when Gary interrupted him.

"Let's go ahead and move onto the next one. This one is Squirtle, a water type," he explained as he threw the second pokéball and released its inhabitant. I could see Gary smile when he saw it. I guess it reminded him about his first day as a trainer.

"Isn't Squirtle the Pokémon you chose to start with, dad?" Jessica asked. She received a nod as an answer.

"My dad also has a Squirtle. His was the leader of a gang of Squirtles when they met. I think they became a part of a local fire department." I smiled when I remembered all the pranks and pitfalls we fell for from them. I hope that the others were doing alright.

"And finally, we have Charmander. It's a fire type, so be careful not to get burned." Gary threw the last pokéball and released a small Charmander.

"Aww, it's so cute!" Jessica cooed, her eyes twinkling as she watched it scan the lab with curious eyes.

"My dad also had a Charmander, but it evolved into Charizard. He lives in Charicific Valley and is the strongest Charizard there!" I couldn't help but wonder how proud Ash would've been if he could hear his son boasting about his Pokémon.

"Okay, Bryan; are you ready to see the Pokémon your dad chose for you?" Bryan nodded. Gary took out a fourth pokéball from his pocket, this one looking just like the others. There was a flash of yellow light when the Pokémon inside came out. When the light cleared, I was amazed at what I saw. The one Ash chose for his son…was a Pichu.

The little Pokémon looked a bit confused after being freed. When it finally noticed I was there, it rushed towards me. I understood that it was probably comfortable seeing another of the same species as it, but I kept away from it. After all, I wasn't sure about the kind of attitude it had. That and it needed to try bonding with Bryan first should he choose to go with it as his starter.

"It's…a Pichu?" Bryan asked. I could hear the tinge of disappointment in his voice, and I got a bit worried. However, that all changed when he scooped the little Pokémon into his arms with a big smile. I guess he just had to recover from the high expectations he had for Ash's personal pick. But if the past were any indication, something told me that he was going to have as interesting of a start to his journey like Ash and I did. Hopefully, that wouldn't mean being chased by a flock of Spearow and the destruction of a bike.

As Pichu was being hugged, I could see its face change. I knew what that look was; it was the same one I had when I first met Ash. Yep, it looked like Bryan was going to follow in his dad's tracks step by step.

The young Pichu let out a Thundershock that struck everyone near it. Needless to say, all of us were now awake after that painful jolt. Actually, it was more of a pleasant recharge for me being that I'm also an electric-type Pokémon.

"Yeah…, I think Ash said this happened with him," Gary said as he looked at me. I smiled sheepishly before noticing the smoke rising from his hair. Bryan was the first to point it out.

"Just what I need. Squirtle, can you please use Water Gun on my hair? I'm not as vain as I was before, but I'd like to keep it as long as possible." Squirtle nodded immediately doused the professor's hair. His hair was now dripping wet, but at least the risk of a fire was gone. "Alright, Jessica; which Pokémon would you like?"

"Charmander!" she immediately said with no hesitation. While I was surprised that she chose it, I must admit she did find it cute right at the get-go. I think Gary was thinking she would be like him and pick Squirtle since he looked just a bit disappointed.

"Are you sure?" he asked. He simply got a smile in return. Having enough confirmation, he brought Charmander back into his Pokéball and gave it to his daughter along with a Pokédex and five spare pokéballs.

"Thanks dad!" She cried happily. She was about to run outside before stopping.

"You're not going? I thought you were excited to start your journey." Bryan said. He still had in his arms the young struggling Pichu.

"I was just thinking about having my first battle with you, Bryan-Boy. …You know, that doesn't sound that great. Maybe Cry-Boy… Yeah, that works."

"What? I'm not a crier!"

"You have that tear mark on your cheek."

"It's just a birthmark!"

"Whatever. Just hurry up and choose your Pokémon so that we can have our battle."

I rolled my eyes at this. First, it was Ashy-boy; now, it was Cry-Boy. I knew now that this rivalry was going to get out of hand just like their fathers' did. I think Gary thought the same thing since he let out a low groan.

"It's not that hard a choice for me. I'm choosing Pichu!" The professor had a reminiscent smile on his face as he gave Bryan his pokédex and six pokéballs. One of them belonged to Pichu.

"Do I really need six? I mean, Pichu-"

"If that Pichu is anything like Pikachu was when your dad first started, you'll thank me later." I knew what he meant, and I had to wonder if all Pikachus and their evolutionary counterparts hated pokéballs. I mean, all the trainer-owned Pikachus I've seen so far were never in theirs.

"About time you picked one. Now come on; let's go outside and have our first battle!" Both children eagerly ran outside with me and Gary following close behind. The last thing we wanted was for either of them and their Pokémon to get hurt. That and we were excited to see their first battle and how well they'll do.

* * *

><p>Once everything was set up, Gary and I stood a respectable distance from the battlefield that was just the road outside the lab's front gates. I saw Bryan standing towards the right with Jessica on the left. Charmander looked ready for its first brawl, but Pichu didn't look all that interested. I could already tell that this was going to be interesting and probably not in a good way for Bryan.<p>

"Can you judge this battle for us, dad?" Jessica asked. Gary nodded before clearing his throat.

"This battle is between Jessica Oak and Bryan Ketchum!" he announced. "Since you both just got your starter Pokémon, we'll have this be a one-on-one battle. Get your Pokémon out and have them ready to battle."

"Charmander's ready to go," she said; the fire Pokémon mirrored her enthusiasm.

"Pichu, I choose you!" Bryan shouted with as much excitement he could muster. However, the little yellow Pokémon was more interested in doing its own thing and sat on the battlefield like a child having a tantrum. "P-Pichu, come on; we got to get ready for battle!"

"Well, it doesn't look like it wants to do anything. Oh well, that just means an easy win for me. Go ahead and use Scratch, Charmander!" Unlike Pichu, Charmander was more than happy to do what Jessica asked of it.

"U-Use Thunder Shock, Pichu!" Bryan panicked. Seeing the fire Pokémon charging at it, Pichu instinctively let out a Thunder Shock to protect itself. It was a direct hit.

"Great job, Pichu!" Bryan congratulated. He was happy that his Pokémon was starting to listen. However, I knew from experience that it wasn't obedience. One look at Charmander's angry face said it all. Pichu got scared and ran up the nearest tree for shelter.

"What the… Don't run away! Come back down and keep fighting!" All that did was entice the little Pokémon to climb higher up. "Come on; don't be like that," he continued to coax as he walked to the tree. That only resulted in him getting an acorn to the forehead courtesy of his new Pokémon.

So this was how I treated Ash the first time we met. It's actually kind of funny seeing it act out in front of me. I never thought I was being that much of a jerk, but I was pretty young and naïve at the time. It's not like I knew any better then, and I know it's the same way with this Pichu.

"Bryan's Pokémon has left the battlefield. As such, Pichu has been disqualified. The winner of this battle goes to Jessica and Charmander!" Gary was never one to care about battlefield boundaries except in official matches. However, I knew he was doing this for Bryan's own good. I'd have done the same thing if I were the one judging.

"Great job, Charmander; I knew I was right in picking you! Go ahead and return now," she exclaimed as she brought Charmander back into its pokéball. She then started on her way without another word.

"W-Wait up, Jessica!"

"What?" she asked as she turned around. She had the most disinterested look on her face.

"Let's have a rematch! You didn't really win that time." Yep, Bryan was just as competitive as Ash was when he lost to Gary. Nice to know some things never change.

"It's just going to be a waste of time. How about you try again when you've actually got that Pichu to listen? Until then, Cry-Boy; I'm off to start my journey." With that, Jessica made her way down the road without so much as a glance back. Bryan just glared back before trying once again to bring Pichu down.

I soon let out a yawn. It was then I noticed that the afternoon went by so quickly and the sun was starting to set. I didn't think Bryan going to get his first Pokémon would be this eventful. With how late it was getting, there's no way I'd let him start his journey today. That and he was still having trouble coaxing Pichu down. As much as it went against my idea of trainer-Pokémon bonding, I decided to give him some help this time.

"Pichu, get down from that tree now. It's getting late. Nighttime's not a good time for young Pokémon to be outside. And besides, you need your rest if you want to get stronger. You do want to beat that Charmander the next time you see him, right?" As I had suspected, that little bit of sweet talk did the trick. The little mouse immediately came scampering down the tree and ignored Bryan's open arms.

* * *

><p>As we were making our way back home, Pichu followed some distance behind us. I kept on looking back to make sure it was still with us. At the same time, I could see the worry on Bryan's face that his dad always had when he was in thought.<p>

"You want to tell me what's wrong?" I asked him straight out. He looked pretty shocked at having been so easily read.

"What're you talking about?" he asked.

"Come on; I know that look. I've seen it on your dad's face hundreds of times. Are you sad because you lost your first battle?" He merely nodded. "Well, why don't you tell me what's on your mind? I don't have all the answers, but I'll help you as best I can."

"I'm just worried that Pichu might hate me," he said as he stole a glance back at the dawdling Pokémon. "He didn't want to listen to me when we were battling, and I'm just wondering if my dad would be disappointed in me. If this is how my journey's going to start, then I don't think I'll be able to make it to the end."

"Don't worry too much about Pichu; I'm sure the two of you will become the best of friends soon. I don't know if you dad ever told you this, but he and I were just like you two when he first started. I hated him when we first met; I think I was a lot worse than Pichu is to you. Looking back on it, I guess I could sense his overconfidence and inexperience as a trainer. Trust me, we kind of have a sixth sense with that. But it wasn't until he risked his life trying to protect me from a flock of angry Spearow did I realize how dedicated and caring he could be. He still didn't have a whole lot of experience, but I knew at that moment I'd be in good hands with him."

"Wow…! He never told me that before. So you're saying that Pichu and I are the same and that I should prove to him how reliable I can be?"

"You catch on quick. Until you've got that trust, don't worry too much about your battles. A battle is nothing if the bond between a Pokémon and its trainer isn't there."

"I guess you're right, but dad never lost a battle." When he said that, I couldn't help but laugh.

"Believe me, he wasn't that unstoppable even though he sometimes thought himself to be. I can't tell you how many times he's lost a Pokémon battle. I've had a fair share of those myself. However, it was those losses that helped him become a Pokémon Master. Winning was good, but the losses were just as if not more important. By losing, he was able to come up with new strategies and come up with a few techniques that only he'd be crazy to try. I know he's shown you how to do the Counter Shield a couple times; that was a result from one of his losses. Think of your previous battle as a way to better yourself. Try to figure out where you went wrong and work your way from there."

"…Thanks, Pikachu," Bryan thanked with a smile. "I never thought of it that way. I guess I really do have a lot to learn before I can be like my dad. I just hope I don't disappoint him."

"You don't have to worry about pleasing him. Just keep doing your best; I'm sure that's all he'd want you to do. But why are you so concerned about him now?" I had to ask. It wasn't like Bryan to suddenly be worried about what Ash would think about him.

"Well, I've been thinking for a while now. Ever since you came back and told me and mom that dad died, nobody ever found his body. The police said you probably just forgot where he was, but I know that isn't you. That's why I've been wondering if he's still somewhere out there? Maybe he managed to survive? Maybe he somehow lost his memories after having died and doesn't remember where home is. I mean, it could be possible since we never found his body, right?"

"…You know, I had that same idea when I couldn't find his body," I admitted. I had pushed those thoughts aside a while ago, but hearing Bryan speak his mind about it stirred up those old feelings of false hope. "I thought that I could go and find out where he was it he really was still alive. But after a while, I figured that whoever killed him made sure to leave no trace that they were there. Even if he was still alive, I wouldn't know the first place to look. And besides, I made a promise to your dad that I'd protect both you and your mom. I'd be breaking that promise if I went looking for him. I'm not going to break it just to look for him without any guarantees that he's still alive. It'd be a disgrace to his memory, and I know he'd rest better knowing his family was taken care of; especially you, Bryan."

"…You really cared about my dad, didn't you?"

"We always watched each other's backs. He was like the brother I never had. Although I don't know how that'd work since he's a human and I'm a Pokémon," I added with a light chuckle in an attempt to break the somber mood.

"I'm sure he loved you, too. When he'd tell me stories about his adventures, he always made sure to say you were there. He was always so proud when he spoke about all the battles you fought. You really meant a lot to him."

"I know. It was one of the last things he said to me." Thankfully, I didn't have to continue on with the somber topic as we finally made it back home. Bryan's mood quickly changed as he ran inside while calling for his mom. Pichu had finally caught up and cautiously followed me into the house.

* * *

><p>After having dinner and explaining to Misty what had happened, I made my way to Bryan's room. He was busy in the bathroom getting ready to sleep. I was just curled up on the bed thinking about what we talked about that afternoon. I then heard the bedroom door open and saw Pichu walking in.<p>

"Hi," he greeted as he jumped onto the bed and stood in front of me. He then asked with a doubtful look, "I heard what you were talking about with Bryan earlier. You weren't lying about how your first day with your trainer was the same as mine, were you?"

"I'd never lie about something like that." To be honest, I was a bit put off that he would think that. However, I knew there had to be some reason why he wanted to bring that up. "Why'd you ask?"

"Well, I could tell by how you talked about your trainer that you must've really cared about him." Pichu actually sounded a bit shy about the discussion. "I just figured that if you were able to go from hate to trust, then maybe I could do the same with Bryan."

"You'll never know until you try," I coaxed. The smile on my face grew as I saw how willing Pichu was to try and make things work. "I know Bryan's not that experienced of a trainer, but his heart is in the right place. He's just like his dad; he cares about his Pokémon more than he does himself. You'll notice it once you've been around him long enough. And besides, he could really use another friend besides me."

"Why? I thought a guy with his attitude would be able to make loads of friends."

"The past year…hasn't been that great for him. His dad died, and he hasn't really talked a lot to humans since then except for those he's familiar with. He's gotten a bit better, but he's still suffering in the friendship department." I knew it was best to tell Pichu the truth. He was bound to notice the lack of friends soon, and it was better he learned it from me instead of coming to conclusions on his own.

"Oh, I didn't know that." Pichu's ears fell slightly.

"It's okay. He's not one to talk about his problems unless his mom or I pull it out of him. Just remember that there's another side to him that he tries to hide."

"Well, he did a good job at it. I never would've guessed he had all that sadness in him if you hadn't told me."

"And I'm sure he'd rather you didn't know so you won't think him weak. So try not to say anything about it unless he brings it up. I know I might be asking a lot of you since we all just met, but could you try to be Bryan's friend?" I extended my tail out to Pichu in hopes that he would agree.

"…I'll try to give him a chance," Pichu replied as he accepted my tail shake. He then jumped off the bed and ran out of the room. I guess he got a lot more than what he originally came to me for and wanted to think on it.

A few minutes later, Bryan came in. He had on his pajamas and smelled of cinnamon that came from his shampoo. He let out a small yawn as he crawled into bed. I had to move a bit to avoid being kicked or smothered by the sheets, but I quickly settled in again once he was ready to sleep.

"Good night Pikachu."

"Good night Bryan."

"…Good night, dad," I heard him say a few seconds later. "If you really are still alive, then I promise I'll find you."

I couldn't help the smile that crept onto my face. Even though I said otherwise earlier, I still never lost hope that Ash was still alive. Until I see his dead body buried with my own eyes, I'll never stop believing he's out there somewhere. I silently prayed that this was the truth as I allowed myself to fall asleep.

* * *

><p>Sometime during the middle of the night, I woke up to some movement. It was strange since Bryan was like Ash, always sleeping like a rock and never moving unless he was dreaming. When I opened one of my eyes to see what was going on, I saw Pichu curling up next to Bryan's head. Apparently, he had taken our conversation earlier very seriously and was going to try and work things out. I smiled at this before going back to sleep, pretending that I didn't see anything.<p>

* * *

><p><strong>BannanGodis: So what do you think of Chapter 3? I was really happy with this chapter. Please leave review about what you think! Thanks a lot for taking the time to read this chapter! :) And thank you reithedragonboy for your help, thanks! :)<strong>


	4. Misty's Secret

_I stood in front of Ash on all four. I could hear all people in the arena, I had never felt, so nervous like this before. I could hear my heart beat, I couldn't believe I was here with my best friend. In front of me could I see the strongest opponent I have ever fought against, I would fight a legendary Pokémon. I, Ash, Misty and Brock had seen such of Pokémon when we traveled in Johto. I remember the blue Pokémon's sister had become interested in my trainer, she has kissed Ash on his cheek before we leave Altomare, but here I stand in front of Latios and Tobias. It is now, it's now as the last battle to begin._

_I looked behind me at my best friend, he looked at me with a determined gaze. In my and Ash's journey had all have people we've met said the same thing, they had said that Ash and I are one. I've never understood it until now, he can feel my feelings and I could feel his._

"_Pikachu we start all this with our first attack!-"Ash cried my first attack, I was getting ready to use my strongest attack. "Use Thunderbolt!" I put my little paws at my breast and could feel a part of my electricity leave my red cheek pouches, sparks flew out of my cheeks and I could feel powerful._

"_PIKAAA!-" I screamed automatically, I could see how electric sparks flooded over my body. When I looked up at Tobias, he showed no reaction. "CHUUUUU!" I cried when all my energy shot out from my red cheeks, but still did Latios nothing. The blue Pokémon got hit by my attack and cried in pain, but.. The trainer didn't say anything._

"_Pikachu use Iron Tail.." Ash said my next attack, I could hear in his voice that he was just as confused as I was. I hadn't planned to just stand there on the battlefield, I nodded and ran towards Latios._ _I ran closer and closer Latios, but Latios didn't move! My tail changed its yellow color to iron, I jumped up in the air and aimed my iron tail on my opponent's head._

_I was a few feets away from hitting a legendary Pokémon with both of my attacks, when: "Latios dodge it!-"I didn't even blink before Latios was gone, my Iron Tail was changed back to its normal color. I looked around myself to find Latios, I looked at my trainer and saw that he had the same confused expression like me. "Latios use Giga impact!" Before me or Ash know where Latios was, I could hear how Latios was preparing his attack._

"_Pikachu close your eyes and try to hear where Latios is!" Once again said my trainer something I don't understand why I would do that, but I'm not going to disagree. I closed my black eyes and could only see black, but then I could hear everything, so much clearer. Then I heard Latios's wings, my ears perked up and I waited for my next command. "Can you hear him buddy?" I nodded "Good, counter Giga Impact with Volt tackle!" I nodded and opened my eyes and turned my gaze up against the blue sky, over me could I see a large purple wave came towards me. I used my Iron Tail to jump high in the air, I did a somersault in the air and my whole body was enveloped by electricity. "Iron Tail!" Ash yelled to me, I did what he said and used Iron Tail when I used Volt tackle._

_I and Latios came closer and closer when:_

* * *

><p>I woke up sweating, I looked up and could see Bryan. He looked anxiously at me, I smiled and sat me up. When I looked at Bryan could I not stop thinking about my Ash, I missed him, so much. When I looked around the room could I see that Pichu wasn't here, where was he?<p>

"I heard before that Pichu leaves the room, I think he was hungry." Said the young boy when he responded my question, but I had never asked that question, could he be like Ash? Could he understand me through only to see my body language? "You mumbled a lot in your sleep, what did you dream about?" Asked the black-haired boy, I sigh.

"About Ash." Was my simple answer when I stood up, I refused to look at the boy. I knew very well about that Ash was a sensitive subject for Bryan, I didn't want to hurt the boy more than I already have. I jumped out from Ash's old bed and went forward to the door. "Your mom wants we should be displayed in the kitchen.." I said when I tried to ease the silence between us, Bryan nodded mutely and went with me.

* * *

><p>We went through the corridor and had no eyes on each other, I think both of us had the same thought, where is Ash and is he still alive? I looked at Bryan and could see how he looked at all the photos with his father on. "This one was when Ash first won his first league." I explained when I looked at a picture with me in Ash's arms, Misty beside him with a hand on his shoulder, Brock on Ash's next side and all of Ash's Pokémon that he used that day. Bryan nodded and smiled.<p>

"What about this?" Asked the young boy when he pointed at a photo. "Oh, this one was a very special day for our family." I explained card when I looked at that photo with a small tear in the eye corner, I used my paw to wipe it away. "What was so special about this photo?" The boy asked as he looked down at me with a raised eyebrow. "I mean there must be more important than the photos here." I shook my head and kept walking, Bryan quickly went back to his seat next to me. "Dad has become Pokémon master, mom and dad married.. What was, so especially with the day?" I sighed and looked up at him, as I stood at the stair edge.

"That was the day that Misty told us wonderful news for your father." Brief I the whole drama that had happened that day, before the photo. Bryan looked confused me. "What was the news?" Asked he, I smiled. "Ash was told that Misty was pregnant." I explained before I went down the stairs, leaving a shocked boy.

* * *

><p>I came into the kitchen and could see that Misty was sitting on her seat at the breakfast table with a phone in her hand. I could hear how loud she spoke, whoever it was, so had this one done Misty angry.<p>

"No he is not here!-"Misty interrupted her screaming when the other person in the handset started talking, Misty clenched her hands in anger. "Excuse me, but I have a son and two hungry Pokémon to take care of, can you call me later?" Misty asked in a calmer tone, she nodded annoyed to phone and sighed. "Please leave me alone now and I will-"Misty frowned and threw the phone against the wall, with my incredible ear, I could hear her whispering: "Why did you have to leave?" Then I saw a few tears slid down her adult face, I knew who she was talking about, but I didn't know who she was talking to..

"Mom, I'm starving!" Cried Bryan when he ran down, I looked with interest at Misty and waited for how she would react when she heard her son's voice. Misty's head flew up and she stood up and walked to the refrigerator, she took out the eggs, margarine and the milk. She left stuff on the sink and took out the flour and salt. "Hey mom, hi Pikachu" Greeted the boy to us, I smiled and I could see how Misty tried to smile too.

"Hello darling." She said softly, the orange haired woman bent down and took out a bowl from one of the cabinets. She cracked the egg against the blue bowl, Bryan stood beside me and looked down at me anxiously, this boy could feel when someone felt bad. "Mom?" Misty broke her fourth egg and looked at her son. "Yes Bryan?" She said kindly, but I could hear the concern in her voice. She could try to hide her feelings out in the media and in the world, but in her own home couldn't she do that.

"What is wrong?" Asked Bryan when he looked into his mother's eyes, Misty gave him a fake smile. "What do you mean darling? I'm just okay." Said Misty convinced, Bryan turned his gaze to the phone, I could hear when Misty sighed. Bryan looked at his mother with an even more uneasy glance. "Mom..?" Misty looked away from us and continued with breaking eggs, Bryan walked slowly to his mother and put a hand on her arm. "Mom… Please?"

"Bryan take Pikachu out, he needs air." Misty said as she tried to sound strong, I and Bryan knew very well that she was crying. Bryan moved his hand away from his mother's hand reluctantly, he sighed loudly. "I tell when the pancakes are ready." She whispered.

"O-Okay mom, love you." Said Bryan before he walked up to me, I went out with Bryan, I wonder what that conversation was about.

* * *

><p>Me and Bryan went top of Pallet Town's hill and looked down, we both liked to see the city from here. When I stood up here, I could feel many emotions. I could feel joy and sadness.<p>

"Do you think we will see daddy on our journey?" Asked Bryan gently, he was probably afraid of the answer I would give him. I hated to give other people and Pokémon the hope that Ash will return. "I don't know." I replied doubtful, I dared not to say "yes" or "no", not to this boy.

"I think.. No, I know that dad is out there somewhere." Said Bryan when the wind did to his hair flew in a dramatic way, he was like a clone of Ash, but just much younger.. I was really hoping that Bryan has right, I wanted to see my Pikapi. Suddenly he became quiet, I looked anxiously at him and saw how he looked out towards the city.

"Okay what is wrong?" I said seriously, the boy looked at me and sighed. "You know, ever since dad left us have you take care of me like.. Like you was my father.." I looked shocked at him and realized that he was right, I had treated my best friend's son for my son. "I'm sorry, I didn't know it, if you want to can I-"Bryan interrupted me when he bent down and put a hand on my head, before I could say something, he patted me on my favorite place, the place where Ash always patted me.

"I wanted to thank you." Bryan said with a calm tone, I looked up into his eyes with my black eyes. "You know, I suffered from my father had been declared dead..?" I nodded, I had seen how Bryan's mood had changed after his dad's "death". "But then you came and cheered me up." A smile shone on his young face, it felt good within myself. "I remember how my father has told me..-" He paused and looked up at the blue sky "again, again, again and again that a Pokémon is not just a battle toy, a Pokémon is your partner and family." He said as he looked at me again, when I looked at the young boy next to me I could see what a nice boy Ash and Misty had taken up. "Dad said that a Pokémon could feel how you felt and will do everything to make you happy, your Pokémon love you, it will always love you." Ash had really learned Bryan about Pokémon, but he was the Pokémon master. "But please Pikachu say me what you dreamed, you said that the dream was about dad." I nodded and took a deep breath, although I didn't want to admit it, but Ash was a very sensitive topic for me too.

"I dreamed about when your father was in the Sinnoh League..-" I saw the battle in front of me, I missed the excitement about the battle. I could hear that Bryan mumbled a little, the boy loved Pokémon almost as much as his father. "Ash had lost all his Pokémon.." I looked down on the town and saw our house. "I was the only one left in Ash's team who hadn't lost. I had to battle with the legendary Latios, the battle was hard, but until the end, I…-" I looked into Bryan's eyes again, I felt safer when I looked into his warm eyes. "I lost." Where my humiliating end to the story.

"You miss it?" Bryan asked me with a sigh, I stared in shock and don't get it what he was talking about. "Huh? If you mean if I miss your father, so have you right, I-" I started, but Bryan stopped me before I could speak clearly. "No, no, I mean something else." I raised an eyebrow in confusion, what was it he meant about that, there is nothing more than Ash I missed? "You are missing the battle." sighed Bryan, I looked up at his face and looked down, my cheer ears lowered slowly. "There is nothing wrong with that miss all the battles, my dad said always that you and him was happiest when you fought together.. But now haven't you had a battle on a long time.." With my head down I nodded, I knew he was right, but I can't battle without Ash and I will never, never, never let someone else tell me what attack I should use.

"M-maybe we may battle with each other?" I raised an eyebrow, he argued that Ash and I used to battle with each other? I remember when he and I were in Unova and I battle with just him, not his Pokémon, just him. I won of course, but it wasn't surprising. "You against Pichu..-"Bryan solidified, he hit himself on the forehead and stood up. "Umm Bryan… What are you doing?" Bryan didn't answer and ran down the steep hill. I panicked and ran after, there's no way I'm going to lose someone again!

Down the hill I saw Bryan lying on the ground, I ran up to him to check if he was alright. He sat up and tried to stand up, I prevented him. "Where do you think you're going?" I asked irritably, I will not let him hurt himself. "What are you looking for?" I tried one more time, he did not answer, he just tried to stand up. What could be, so important which means that he must go? Then it hit me:

"Where is Pichu?" Bryan sat up, although I tried to hold him down. He pressed his knees against his chest and sigh high. "I don't know.. I am a worthless trainer, dad would been disappointed on me." I gasped, how could he say such a thing? Bryan could not continue the questioning himself, his journey has not even started yet! "What do you mean about that?!" Bryan looked at me with shining eyes. "I have lost my Pokémon, my first Pokémon.." I sighed. "Your father would never be disappointed in you, he has lost me and many others of his Pokémon, many times." I explained with a laugh, Bryan watched with interest at me. "When?" He asked me, I laughed and rubbed my arm behind my head.

"Hehe most of it was because of Team Rocket.." Bryan nodded sadly and looked away, I should not have opened my big mouth.. "But I remember when Ash first started his journey, he lost his Metapod to a flock of Beedrills." Bryan looked at me with a smile, he liked to hear about Ash's failure or something like that? "How lost my dad his Pokémon, when did it happen, did my father get back Metapod?" Bryan showered me with questions, I just blinked and smiled a nervous smile. "Umm.. If I remember correctly, so had your father and a another trainer a Pokémon battle between Metapod and.. Metapod.." I sighed, I remember that the only attacks Metapod used was "Harder".

"Wait, you mean that my dad, the great Pokémon master, used a Metapod between a Metapod?" Laughing Bryan doubtful, I nodded and smiled nervously. I could hear on Bryan's voice that he was hoping that I was joking, but then he realized that I had told the truth. "If I remember correctly, so can Metapod use tackle and harder, right?" I nodded impressed, Ash's son could much about Pokémon, not as much as Max, but still much. "So it became a tackle battle against each other? It does not sound, so exciting.." If only Bryan knew..

"Yeah, but the thing was that your father and the other trainer used .. Harder between each other, so the battle continued for several hours. But suddenly there came a Beedrill and took Metapod, your father and his friends, and me did leave Metapod with Beedrill. The next morning Ash was gone, he walked alone for Metapod, without Pokémon. Me and his friends looking for Ash, we had a safety net over us which made it impossible for Beedrill to jabbing us. When we found Ash, so he kept in Metapod and an angry Beedrill tried to jabbing him, I was completely unable to protect my best friend. When-" Bryan gasped and turned around, so he was sitting in front of me. "What happened?" Asked the boy. "Metapod then jumped up in the air and protected Ash, when Beedrill had left, I ran and the other up to Ash. Metapod had a crack in its shell, when it began suddenly shine and evolve." I finished my flashback, Bryan smiled.

"It was amazing, my father experienced many adventures." I smiled, if he only knew half of them. Bryan's smile disappeared and he looked away, but then began his lips turning back to a smile. "Come on, we look for Pichu." I smiled and he stood up, then we ran towards to the city.

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><p>Bryan opened the door, but then we heard suddenly someone shouted, this one was Ash's angry wife Misty. Bryan and I crept slowly next to the kitchen opening and eavesdropping on the conversation.<p>

"I don't care who you are, I'm not going to let anyone take my son!" Misty yelled at whoever it is at the other handset. "I don't care that you knew my Ash!" I could see how some tears slid down from the orange-haired mother's cheeks, but who was she talking to? "I don't care if my husband said you would see my son, he is too young!"

"Mom..?" Whispered Bryan when he went into the doorway, Misty gasped. "Mom who are you talking to and why would she/he don't see me?" Asked Bryan when he made his irresistible dog eyes, the eyes did that anyone would melt.

"Umm… Bryan, you may well go out and-" Bryan interrupted his mother when he took the phone away from Misty's hand, Misty tried to take it back before Bryan had time to find out who she had talked to.

"Mom, who is Cynthia?"

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><p><strong>BannanGodis: I'm sorry for the bad chapter and I'm sorry Bryan has not come out on his journey,<strong> **it will happen in 1-2 chapters! Merry Christmas (if I do not have time to update anything more before Christmas). And as I said, so I suck at describing battles** **I hope it is good enough! :) ****And once again I have informed this chapter so if I have written anything crazy let me know.**


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